1979

The Top 150 Hits of… 1979

Quick! When you hear the phrase “overplayed disco hits,” what are the first 4 songs that pop into mind? Now, how closely does your list compare with the top 4 below? Amazing, right? If you didn’t find all of your songs in the top 4, they might be on this list somewhere. Disco hit a commercial and creative peak in ’79, right before the backlash that virtually killed it (Remember the record burning events?). If you’ve never heard Donna Summer’s Bad Girls album in its entirety, you really should. It’s a worthy companion to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

1. Le Freak – Chic 416.5
2. Hot Stuff – Donna Summer 359.5
3. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor 357
4. Y.M.C.A. – Village People 346.5
5. My Sharona – The Knack 342.5
6. Da Ya Think I’m Sexy – Rod Stewart 325.5
7. Bad Girls – Donna Summer 314
8. Still – The Commodores 304.5
9. Sad Eyes – Robert John 301.5
10. Ring My Bell – Anita Ward 297.5
11. Reunited – Peaches & Herb 295
12. Pop Muzik – M 287.5
13. A Little More Love – Olivia Newton-John 287
14. Rise – Herb Alpert 287
15. Too Much Heaven – The Bee Gees 280.5
16. You Don’t Bring Me Flowers – Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand 276.5
17. Good Times – Chic 272.5
18. I’ll Never Love This Way Again – Dionne Warwick 271
19. Fire – The Pointer Sisters 269.5
20. My Life – Billy Joel 264.5
21. What a Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers 256
22. Tragedy – The Bee Gees 248.5
23. Dim All the Lights – Donna Summer 247
24. After the Love Has Gone – Earth, Wind & Fire 236
25. Stumblin’ In – Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman 235.5
26. Heart of Glass – Blondie 233.5
27. Sharing the Night Together – Dr. Hook 233.5
28. Makin’ It – David Naughton 229.5
29. Heartache Tonight – The Eagles 224.5
30. We Are Family – Sister Sledge 224
31. Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson 222.5
32. Knock on Wood – Amii Stewart 220.5
33. The Main Event/Fight – Barbra Streisand 220
34. No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) – Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer 218.5
35. When You’re in Love With a Beautiful Woman – Dr. Hook 217.5
36. Love You Inside Out – The Bee Gees 213
37. The Logical Song – Supertramp 212.5
38. Lead Me On – Maxine Nightingale 209.5
39. Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) – The Jacksons 206
40. Just When I Needed You Most – Randy Vanwarmer 204.5
41. Shake Your Groove Thing – Peaches & Herb 203
42. Hold the Line – Toto 202.5
43. Heaven Knows – Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams 201.5
44. Goodnight Tonight – Wings 199.5
45. In the Navy – Village People 198.5
46. Lonesome Loser – Little River Band 198.5
47. The Devil Went Down to Georgia – The Charlie Daniels Band 196.5
48. Sail On – The Commodores 196
49. She Believes in Me – Kenny Rogers 193
50. Chuck E.’s in Love – Rickie Lee Jones 191
51. (Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away – Andy Gibb 190.5
52. Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits 189.5
53. Music Box Dancer – Frank Mills 188
54. Lotta Love – Nicolette Larson 186.5
55. Don’t Bring Me Down – Electric Light Orchestra 185.5
56. I Want You to Want Me – Cheap Trick 182.5
57. You’re Only Lonely – J.D. Souther 182.5
58. Boogie Wonderland – Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions 181.5
59. Gold – John Stewart 181
60. Every 1’s a Winner – Hot Chocolate 177
61. Mama Can’t Buy You Love – Elton John 175
62. Don’t Cry Out Loud – Melissa Manchester 174.5
63. Heaven Must Have Sent You – Bonnie Pointer 174.5
64. Ooh Baby Baby – Linda Ronstadt 170.5
65. You Can’t Change That – Raydio 169.5
66. You Decorated My Life – Kenny Rogers 169.5
67. I Was Made for Dancin’ – Leif Garrett 166.5
68. He’s the Greatest Dancer – Sister Sledge 164.5
69. I Want Your Love – Chic 163.5
70. Lady – Little River Band 158
71. Take Me Home – Cher 155.5
72. September – Earth, Wind & Fire 155
73. Shine a Little Love – Electric Light Orchestra 148.5
74. What You Won’t Do for Love – Bobby Caldwell 146
75. New York Groove – Ace Frehley 145.5
76. Got to Be Real – Cheryl Lynn 143.5
77. Promises – Eric Clapton 142.5
78. The Gambler – Kenny Rogers 140.5
79. Tusk – Fleetwood Mac 140
80. Love Is the Answer – England Dan & John Ford Coley 139.5
81. Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy – Bad Company 137
82. Shake It – Ian Matthews 135.5
83. Take the Long Way Home – Supertramp 134.5
84. How You Gonna See Me Now – Alice Cooper 134.5
85. Ships – Barry Manilow 134.5
86. I Was Made for Lovin’ You – KISS 132.5
87. I Just Fall in Love Again – Anne Murray 131.5
88. Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now – McFadden & Whitehead 130.5
89. Lovin’, Touchin’, Squueezin’ – Journey 129.5
90. Good Girls Don’t – The Knack 127
91. You Take My Breath Away – Rex Smith 126.5
92. Somewhere in the Night – Barry Manilow 126.5
93. Disco Nights (Rock-Freak) – GQ 125
94. Renegade – Styx 123
95. Born to Be Alive – Patrick Hernandez 121
96. Broken Hearted Me – Anne Murray 119.5
97. We’ve Got Tonight – Bob Seger 119
98. Cruel to Be Kind – Nick Lowe 116
99. Suspicions – Eddie Rabbitt 112.5
100. This Night Won’t Last Forever – Michael Johnson 112
101. Every Time I Think of You – The Babys 107
102. Bad Case of Loving You – Robert Palmer 106.5
103. Love Takes Time – Orleans 105.5
104. Half the Way – Crystal Gayle 104
105. Soul Man – Blues Brothers 103.5
106. No Tell Lover – Chicago 103.5
107. Dancin’ Shoes – Nigel Olsson 103
108. If You Remember Me – Chris Thompson & Night 103
109. Get Used to It – Roger Voudouris 102.5
110. Dirty White Boy – Foreigner 102
111. Let’s Go – The Cars 99.5
112. I Know a Heartache When I See One – Jennifer Warnes 99.5
113. Dance the Night Away – Van Halen 99
114. Minute by Minute – The Doobie Brothers 98.5
115. Driver’s Seat – Sniff ‘n’ the Tears 98.5
116. I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl) – Instant Funk 97
117. Goodbye Stranger – Supertramp 97
118. I Can’t Stand It No More – Peter Frampton 96.5
119. I Do Love You – GQ 96
120. The Boss – Diana Ross 95.5
121. Don’t Hold Back – Chanson 95.5
122. Deeper Than the Night – Olivia Newton-John 95
123. Livin’ It Up – Bell & James 95
124. Does Your Mother Know – ABBA 95
125. Different Worlds – Maureen McGovern 93.5
126. Blue Morning, Blue Day – Foreigner 90.5
127. Crazy Love – Poco 90
128. Hot Summer Nights – Night 90
129. Come to Me – France Joli 89.5
130. Take Me to the River – Talking Heads 89.5
131. I’m Every Woman – Chaka Khan 89
132. Precious Love – Bob Welch 88.5
133. Where Were You When I Was Falling in Love – Lobo 87.5
134. Do It or Die – Atlanta Rhythm Section 86.5
135. Rainbow Connection – Kermit (Jim Henson) 86.5
136. Damned If I Do – The Alan Parsons Project 86.5
137. Love Ballad – George Benson 85
138. Is She Really Going Out With Him – Joe Jackson 85
139. Blow Away – Geroge Harrison 84
140. I Don’t Know If It’s Right – Evelyn “Champagne” King 84
141. Spooky – Atlanta Rhythm Section 83.5
142. One Way or Another – Blondie 83.5
143. Morning Dance – Spyro Gyra 83
144. Hot Number – Foxy 81
145. Superman – Herbie Mann 80.5
146. Get It Right Next Time – Gerry Rafferty 78
147. Maybe I’m a Fool – Eddie Money 78
148. Heart of the Night – Poco 77.5
149. So Good, So Right – Brenda Russell 76.5
150. I Need a Lover – John (Cougar) Mellencamp 76